New York

New York's bun revolution has brought burgers into many surprising environments: parks, upscale Japanese restaurants, even museums (the DamienHirstBurger: it's dia-mondo!). Bringing the burger back to throwback surrounds, Burger Shoppe, opening tomorrow.

Co-owned by Pop Burger's patty-ologist, Shoppe offers two distinct settings for reliving ground-beef glory days: a formica-countered, quick-serve 1st floor sourced from a vintage Philly diner, and a table-service 2nd floor graced with a 20ft bar ripped from a Chicago saloon (for eating Untouchaburgers?). 'Wich-wise, Shoppe's plating up sesame-bunned quarter-pounders (Hereford beef, portobello, gulf shrimp), which can be decker'd up with the likes of applewood smoked bacon and fried eggs -- because some eat to live, others eat to die. There're also dogs and hand-cut fries, plus a post-4pm bar menu with house-chopped chicken livers, short-rib pudding, and a special "barroom burger" topped with gruyere and braised pork belly, a.k.a. "The Artist Formerly Known as Bacon".

Wine & beer's available, and Shoppe'll also accommodate large parties with special deals, e.g., the Bankers Dozen (13 burgers for the price of 12) and the 100-burger Party Monster -- allowing you to surprise everyone when you fit the lot into the distended environment of your stomach.